Meet the Gan

Adriana Terceros,

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Assistant Teacher

Adriana Terceros was born in Bolivia, but has lived in Maryland her whole life. Over the past seven years she’s found fulfillment in nurturing young minds as a dedicated nanny. Her passion lies in the joy of working with children and creating meaningful connections that go beyond just care taking. Adriana's experience as a nanny has fueled her passion for children, leading her to embrace a role at the Gan. 

Ashley Ross, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Ashley Ross is a native Washingtonian who has lived in the DC area her whole life. She took three early childhood education courses while in high school and has worked at the Gan since 2009. She hopes to one day have her own childcare center and recently welcomed her daughter Amina to the extended Gan family!

Austin Morel, (He/Him) 

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Austin Morel was raised in North Carolina. He obtained his bachelor's degree in psychology in 2021 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before becoming a teacher at The Gan, Austin taught classical guitar and worked as an ABA therapist. In the summers he likes to go backpacking and play music with friends. He lives with his fiancée and two cats in Maryland.

Berfaly Campos, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Berfaly is originally from El Salvador, where she studied computer science. She moved to DC in 2014 and decided to pursue a career in teaching. She holds a master's degree in Innovative Early Childhood Practices and Human Development and has over nine years of experience working with children in public and private Jewish schools. Berfaly currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of the District of Columbia and at Potomac University, where she teaches early childhood classes in Spanish to students pursuing a BA degree in ECE.

Berfaly always looks for opportunities to learn new skills and expand her knowledge. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, drawing, reading, and spending time with her son Elias, who attends the GAN, her husband, and her chocolate lab dog.

Chava Gal-Or, 

Gan HaYeled School Program Manager

Hello everyone! My name is Chava Gal-Or and I am so excited to join the Gan team! I just moved back to the DC area from Houston, Texas. Previously, I was the Director of Congregational Learning for a small congregation, but I wanted to return to this area so that I can be family and friends. Feel free to visit me in the Gan office if you need anything at all.

Daniel de los Reyes, (He/Him)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Daniel has been at the Gan for 15 years (and has loved every minute of it). He has worked with every age group over the years and has particularly loved working with 2s and 3s. You can find him on the floor playing with his students or doing his favorite activity: Reading stories with children. Daniel is a gamer at heart and has been playing video games since he was five years old. Aside from video games, he also plays tabletop games, from board games to Dungeons & Dragons. He started his own Dungeons & Dragons campaign last year, doing it virtually online for friends.

Diane Fernheimer, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Support Staff Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Diane Fernheimer has been an Early Childhood Educator for many years. She enjoys listening to and having conversations with young children. When Diane isn’t at the Gan, she enjoys spending time with family, friends, dancing, writing, reading, and volunteering.  She is also a proud aunt to four amazing nephews and a niece! 

Ellie Moses Schuchman,

Gan HaMishpacha Music Instructor

Ms. Ellie is the founder and lead teacher of Ms. Ellie Music, LLC.  She was trained by Music Together LLC in 2006 and has been involved in early childhood music ever since.  She is the music specialist at Ohr Kodesh Early Childhood Center (ECC), Tikvat Israel ECC, and Sherman ECC at Har Shalom, bringing more music into the classrooms and leading weekly Shabbat singalongs, Havdalah, as well as holiday celebrations.  She also leads Tot Shabbat Friday night and Saturday morning services locally at Adat Shalom Congregation as well as for other groups in DC and New York. 

Prior to her involvement in early childhood music, Ellie worked as a licensed clinical social worker with children and their families in various school-based and mental health settings.  She has a BA in Psychology from Clark University and a MS in Social Work from Columbia University.  She grew up in Takoma Park, MD, and was an active member of Habonim Dror and Camp Moshava, where she first developed her love of and ruach (spirit, in Hebrew) for singing and dancing as a camper, and then for many years, as a counselor and assistant camp director.

Esperanza Almeida, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Assistant Teacher

Esperanza "Espy" Almeida is from Ecuador, South America, and has lived in Washington, D.C. for forty years. While working as a nanny to children who attended the Gan, she soon fell in love with the preschool and decided to become an educator here. She has been working at the Gan for over 30 years. She has a Child Development Associate in Early Childhood Education. Espy has a  passion for young children, enjoys every minute of it, and expresses this is the second home that she loves and respects.

Hannah Lacey-Smith, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Hannah is a passionate educator hailing from England. With a BA from the UK, she went on to gain a master's degree in Early Childhood Education in the USA. She has dedicated her career to nurturing young minds and helping children embark on their educational journeys. Hannah is no stranger to the educational landscape; having been an active and beloved member of the Gan community for several years. Her warm and engaging teaching style has left a lasting impression on countless students and families. But Hannah's quest for knowledge doesn't stop there. Currently, she is deep into the world of Science and Technology Education, driven by a desire to stay on the cutting edge of educational advancements. Her commitment to lifelong learning is a testament to her dedication to providing the best possible educational experiences for their students. Hannah's hobbies and loves away from the Gan include theater shows, concerts and traveling. Hannah has visited 30+ states so far. 

Jenny Post Gorski, MS, OTR/L,

Gan HaNeshama Occupational Therapist

Jenny is a pediatric Occupational Therapist with over 10 years experience specializing in working with toddlers and children in both the clinical and school settings. Jenny earned her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Ithaca College, in Ithaca, NY. She has been working for Teri Kozlowski since 2007, where she has experience treating a range of developmental problems and delays, including those with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Autism Spectrum Disorder, Genetic Syndromes, Developmental Delays, Learning Disabilities, Fine Motor (handwriting, manipulation or dexterity) and Gross Motor Delays, and Visual System (perceptual, efficiency and information processing) Delays. 

Jenny strongly believes in the dynamic and integrated approach that TeeKoz Kids Pediatric Occupational Therapy provides to families. Jenny enjoys working on a more direct and personal level with not only the children but with families and professionals; to work toward achieving a child’s full potential. She is certified in The Listening Program, Integrated Listening System and Interactive Metronome and has attended numerous continuing education courses to build her knowledge base on Sensory Integration, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Social Thinking ™ curriculum, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Praxis, Gross and Fine Motor Development and Visual Efficiency and Information Processing, as well as Motor Impairments.  Jenny is a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist in both Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Karla Sosa Hernandez,

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials:  AssistantTeacher

K I am Salvadorian and I live in DC with my husband and three children. Since I became a mother for the first time 17 years ago, I wanted to change the course of my life, teaching and caring for other children as surely someone else does with my children. I love working with children of different ages. I have been working in different childcare centers for approximately 15 years and I am grateful and incredibly happy to be part of the Gan family. I am currently studying at the University of Potomac to enrich my knoledge in early childhood development and to be able to provide teaching, knowledge, and quality care to each child at the Gan. My Favorite part is being able to get to know the world through playing with each child. I believe that paly, exploration, and nature are an essential part of the development of each child. 

Kristein Ross,

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Kristein Ross has been in early childhood since 2004 working with children between the ages of six weeks and ten years old. Before she came to the Gan, she was a teacher at an early childcare center in Maryland for eight years. She has been working at the Gan since 2014 and is currently attending Trinity Washington University to get her Associates degree in Early Childhood. She also has two school-age children at home.

LaKisha Veney, (She/Her) 

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Assistant Teacher

Hello my name Lakisha Veney and I'm a Native Washingtonian. I'm a mother of two boys with special needs. I've been in child care since 2010 and received my CDA in Early Childhood Education in 2013. I enjoy molding and help young minds develop into productive children. 

Lauren Chambers, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Lauren has been in the Early Childhood field for the past 15 years, spending the last seven at the Gan. Children have the capability of making the gloomiest of days much brighter with their innocent humor and strong willingness to learn through the world around them. Every day is exciting when you're a teacher! Lauren lives in Maryland with her husband Terrance and two boys, Terrance Jr. (T.J.) and Landon.

Liliana Maslog, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Assistant Teacher

Lili is from Peru and moved to Washington, DC in 2001. She has worked with children since 2001 and has studied early childhood education. Her eight-year-old daughter is a graduate of the Gan! Lili, her husband, and their daughter live in DC. She is returning to the Gan after a few years away and is very excited to meet everyone again.

Meghan Carlson, MS, CCC-SLP, Gan HaNeshama Speech Language Pathologist

Meghan is a Speech-Language Pathologist working with Little Sprout Therapy & Metro Myo, LLC.

Meghan is originally from Pennsylvania, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the Pennsylvania State University. She received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Loyola University Maryland. Meghan is a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, is licensed in both DC and MD and has been practicing Speech and Language Pathology for 10 years. Meghan has a passion for working with children and has a variety of experiences across therapeutic settings having worked in outpatient clinics, pediatric hospital settings and schools/daycares. Meghan is also a faculty member at Loyola University Maryland where she teaches graduate students pursuing their Masters of Speech-Language Pathology. She has experience helping children from birth to 21 years of age in areas of expressive and receptive language, articulation, social skills secondary to autism spectrum disorders, oral motor/feeding, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), and various training courses including Social Thinking courses, Hanen It Takes Two to Talk/More than Words, Feed the Peds, and others. In her free time, you can find Meghan with her fiance Tyler and their 1-year-old, Jack exploring DC, traveling and spending time with their friends and family. 

Niurka Polanco,

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

Niurka Polanco is from the Dominican Republic, Santiago, where she studied accounting.

Upon arriving in the United States she discovered her love for teaching early childhood children because she believes that the experiences our little ones get in their early years are crucial for their development. Niurka received her CDA (Child Development Associate) preschool bilingual, and is currently completing her Associate in Early Childhood Education, she has been in the teaching profession for 2 years.

She has 2 small children, a girl and a boy, and loves learning new things, reading, and spending time with her family.

Patricia Ulanet, PsyD,

Gan HaNeshama Developmental Neuropsychologist

Dr. Ulanet is a Developmental Neuropsychologist with a specialization in Behavioral Medicine and Applied Development at the Center for Assessment and Treatment where she oversees the Developmental Clinic, specializing in children aged 0-6.

Dr. Ulanet’s career has focused exclusively on assessment, diagnoses and treatment of toddlers, preschoolers, and young school aged children with developmental concerns, including those with complex learning profiles. She has advised the Montgomery County DESC Team for diagnostic support and IEP development, provided faculty in-service training and parent education, and consulted for The Treatment and Learning Center, Katherine Thomas School regarding diagnostic assessment of complex cases.

Previously, Dr. Ulanet held a faculty position on the Diagnostic Team of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital and participated as researcher and clinician in the Research Unit in Pediatric Psychopharmacology (RUPP). She succeeded the Director of the Clinic for Complex Developmental Disorders at Children’s National Medical Center in 2000, and stayed on through the program transition to the Center for Autistic Spectrum Disorders (CASD). At that time, Dr. Ulanet also became Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics at the George Washington University Medical Center. In 2005, Dr. Ulanet was offered the position as Director of Psychological Services at the River School in Washington, DC; a role that included assessment of neurodevelopmental progress in young children with cochlear implants and various neurodevelopmental concerns including behavioral, neurological, attention, memory and learning difficulties as well as providing early differential diagnosis of ASD and hearing loss. Dr. Ulanet’s research includes identification of a specific subtype of neurocognitive processing in young children with cochlear implants. These findings were presented at the international Symposium for Cochlear Implants in May of 2012 and published in 2014.

Dr. Ulanet has also developed and implemented an early social emotional learning curriculum for young children (ages 2 years through 3rd grade). She is current on the trends in the early child development literature and the importance of identifying each child’s strengths to support areas of vulnerability in order for children to meet with educational success and a bright and fulfilling future.

She holds a BA in Psychology from Case Western Reserve University, an MA in Mental Health and Human Development from John Carroll University, and was awarded a Doctorate of Psychology in 1992 from Nova Southeastern University. She conducted Internship and Residency in Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Miami Children’s Hospital through the divisions Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience and Psychiatry. She is licensed in DC and Maryland, is a member if the American Psychological Association and a parent.

Robin Jacobson,

Adas Israel Librarian

Robin has been with Adas since 2001. Robin's work combines her two favorite interests: people and books. In addition to running the synagogue's library, she creates children's literacy programs in partnership with the Gan and Religious School. For adults, she facilitates a popular book club, organizes author events, and reviews books for Adas online and print publications.

Tatyana Shelby, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Educator

OSSE Credentials: Assistant Teacher

Tatyana has always wanted to be a preschool teacher now that she is, she absolutely loves her job. She lives in Greenbelt, MD, with her husband, 5 children, and 2 fur babies. She enjoys reading, dancing, and karaoke. 

Zuri Price, (She/Her)

Gan HaYeled Classroom Co-Educator

OSSE Credentials: Teacher

I have been educating young children for ten years. I have an Associate Degree in Education and am currently enrolled at Trinity Washington University to obtain my Bachelor's Degree.  I'm a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Black Child Development Institute. My personal goal as an educator is to join the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education as a member of the Early Intervention team, supporting infants and toddlers with delays and disabilities and their families. In my personal time, I enjoy reading novels, memoirs, and karaoke